My Way
by SapeloSweetie
Summary: Post-Eclipse. Bella and Edward dealing with wedding details and trying to reign Alice in. What if circumstances changed? What happened to force Bella's change to a vampire?
1. Chapter 1

**AN: After reading and re-reading (and re-reading) Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series, I couldn't get enough, so I thought I would attempt to write my own version of how Breaking Dawn will be like. I am trying to keep the characters as canon as possible and have found it to be slightly more difficult than Princess Diaries characters, so please bear with me. **

**This story begins at the end of Eclipse - disregarding (for now) the epilogue (where Jacob phases and runs off after getting the wedding invitation). I do plan on including some chapters from his POV, because I think they are important to the story.**

**I am also browsing for a beta, because I type chapters as quickly as I can and get so excited about posting them, I make small mistakes. So - if you are in love with Twilight and don't mind being my kick in the butt to continue, please PM me so we can collaborate. Thanks!**

**_Disclaimer: These characters and special powers that come with them belong solely to Stephenie Meyers and no profit is being made from this - just personal enjoyment._**

Edward pulled me onto his back and I tightened my arms around his neck and grasped my shirtsleeves. We made it out of the meadow and back to his house before the bottom dropped out.

"Would you like to drive, or shall I?" he asked politely.

I smiled beatifically at his expression of distaste at traveling so slowly and silently got into the passenger seat of his Volvo. He grinned at me as climbed in and started the ignition. I sat back and wondered if I would get used to his lead foot. Would it be different when I was a vampire? Would the speed bother me like it did now? I knew he wanted desperately to replace my ancient truck with something a bit newer and a lot faster.

"What are you thinking?" he asked in a low voice, glancing at me quickly. The corner of his mouth quirked into a small smile as he rounded a curve that I wouldn't have attempted at half the speed he was traveling. My right hand clutched the door handle and I stomped on the imaginary brake pedal in front of me.

"Will you please relax and learn to trust me, Bella?" he queried, only slightly amused.

I cleared my throat and squeaked, "If you don't want to talk to Charlie right now, it's fine. But can we please slow down a little?"

He sighed in resignation, but slowed to a more nerve-soothing speed. "You didn't answer my question," he reminded me quietly.

"Actually, I was wondering if I would ever get used to traveling this fast. I mean – I've kind of gotten used to hanging on for dear life when you are running, but cars and clutzy-danger magnets don't mix very well."

We turned onto my street and into the driveway as I finished my sentence. He turned to me and grabbed my hand. "We don't have to do this if you don't want to. I meant what I said earlier – I want to do this your way, the way you want it."

"No, this is what I want. Now, let's go talk to Charlie before I lose my nerve." I pulled my hand out of his and made a move to open the door. He was there before I had time to blink and was extending his hand for mine. I shook my head in wonder. As we made our way for the door, he turned to me again.

"Are you absolutely certain that this is what you want?"

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, for the final time. This is what _I _want. Although, how about calling Alice and making sure this won't blow up in our face?"

He pulled out his cell phone and spoke rapidly into the receiver. A brief frown marred his perfect features, but it was gone in an instant, replaced with something that looked like humor. I waited impatiently as he conversed with Alice. After hanging up and sliding the phone back into his pocket, he reached for the doorknob.

"What did she say?" I asked, stretching my hand out to stop him from opening the front door.

He grinned at me and replied, "You'll see."

**_(AN2: Sorry this chapter is so short - it's getting late and I need to go to bed! Thanks for reading!)_**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Working really hard to get this story completed, here is the second chapter (obviously). \**

**Stephenie Meyer owns all characters...I own nothing, just taking them out to play...**

**(As a sidenote - I am looking for a beta, but there are so many on the beta search for Twilight, I am having a hard time deciding. I would rather have someone who already likes the story...and I have some sneaky ideas I want to bounce off of them, if they don't mind...)**

The door swung open to reveal a dark foyer and no Charlie in sight. Beside me, Edward chuckled softly. I breathed a silent sigh of relief and turned toward him.

"Why didn't you tell me Charlie wasn't here?" I asked, slightly annoyed at this turn of events. At least we could have got it over with.

"Alice didn't see him at all, which I take it means he is at La Push."

"Ah." I turned away from him and trudged up the stairs. Edward quietly followed me with a guiding hand at the small of my back. When we reached my room, I sat on the bed and he took the rocking chair opposite me.

"Don't worry. I've spoken to Alice about the situation with Charlie. She told me this morning that you have nothing to worry about. Me on the other hand…" he drifted off, smiling slightly.

I groaned and fell back onto my pillow. Covering my face with my hands, I asked, "What else did she say?"

He was silent for a moment and answered carefully. "Just that Charlie may overreact slightly, but he will cool down quickly."

I couldn't help but wonder how much editing of his own had been done with that statement. I prodded further, "And?"

He flipped idly through a book that had been on my bookshelf. "Bella, you worry too much."

I gaped at him in shock. _I _worry too much? The potential fate, well not so much fate as he was virtually indestructible, of my boyfriend – correction, _fiancé_ – lay in the hands of a slightly overprotective and meddling father, and he thinks I worry too much? Ha.

He noticed my expression and sighed dramatically. "She said that he will ask you if you are jumping into marriage too quickly. You know, he does worry about the effect of his divorce from your mother had on you. He wonders if life would have been different for all of you if he had chosen to go after Renee. I can't help but wonder if things would have been better for you if your family had stayed in Phoenix."

"I wouldn't have met you and we wouldn't be getting married."

"You can't miss what you never had," he reminded gently.

"I would," I replied stubbornly.

"Who knows, maybe we would have moved to Phoenix and our paths might have crossed." He set the book back onto the shelf.

I scoffed at him. "Sure, your family of vampires would have just jumped at the chance to live in the sunniest place on earth. I can see it now."

He smiled grimly. "Charlie's home."

I jumped up and ran to the window. Sure enough, Billy's truck had pulled into the drive and Charlie was stepping out of the passenger side.

"Maybe we should go downstairs so your father won't get the wrong idea."

I teased, "Pssh, you're in my bedroom every night and he hasn't a clue."

He grinned at me, flashing perfect, white teeth. "Humor me."

I lurched down the stairs and would have tripped twice if Edward hadn't been there to save me from falling on my face.

We were in the kitchen when the front door opened. "Bella?"

I rolled my eyes. "In here, Dad!"

Charlie ambled through the doorway and set his tackle box down on the kitchen table. He stiffly acknowledged Edward and opened the refrigerator.

"Any fish today?" I queried nervously. I had been ready to get it over with, but now found that any conversation to delay the inevitable was fine with me.

"Nah, Billy and I just sat on the lake and talked, mostly."

"Oh, really? Anything new happening at the reservation?"

Edward smirked behind his hand. He recognized my nervous chatter for what it was. A diversionary tactic. He winked at me.

"Chief Swan, may I speak to you in private for a moment?"

Charlie looked back and forth between the two of us suspiciously. My face flushed slightly as he closed the fridge. "And may I ask what about? Is there something you feel you need to share, Bella?"

"Well," I stammered, "you know how you said you would like a little warning? Well, this is it."

He flushed scarlet with anger and pursed his lips. "Is this your way of telling me that you two are…"

"Are getting married, yes sir." Edward smoothly interrupted. "I would have liked the chance to ask you for your daughter's hand, but she beat me to the punch." He held his hands out in a peaceful gesture.

Charlie spun around to face me directly. "Are you pregnant? Is that why you feel you have to get married so young?"

I gasped in shock. Either Alice didn't foresee this happening or Edward had done some major editing. "No, Dad. It's nothing like that!"

Charlie dropped abruptly into a kitchen chair. He was still facing me, but addressed Edward. "What about school? Don't you think it would be better if the two of you graduated college first?"

"Dad, I'm still going to school. I'll just be going married."

He peered at me curiously. "Are you sure this is what you want? I thought you and Jacob had some sort of relationship going."

Edward pressed his lips into a tight line and waited for my reply. I gestured for him to chime in at any moment. Say something, anything to distract Charlie from this train of thought. He shook his head minutely. I looked back to Charlie.

"Jacob and I have only just been friends."

"Is that all you have to say on the matter? You didn't answer my question."

I looked up at Edward in despair. "Yes, this is what I want. I want to marry him, Dad, I love him."

"I just don't understand how you could be so forgiving after he _left_ you for crying out loud. Do you remember anything that happened while he was gone?"

Behind him, Edward winced. Clearly, Charlie remembered in very vivid detail. I stared at him silently, willing the tears to stay away.

"Yeah, Dad, I do. I went through hell." I murmured quietly. "But this is what I want. I can't live without him. Surely you realize that."

Charlie looked down in defeat. "How long until the big day?"

I glanced at Edward. "I'm not sure. It will be before my birthday. We were thinking an August wedding." I sat down in the chair across from him and stretched my hand toward his.

He grasped it loosely. "Can I walk you down the aisle?"

The tears that had threatened to fall earlier, now poured freely down my cheeks. "Of course, Dad."

He squeezed my hand and stood up, facing Edward. "I am saying this because I love her and I want her to be happy, you have my consent to marry my daughter. But you listen to me, if you hurt her again, like you did before, you will answer to me."

Edward nodded slightly and looked directly into Charlie's eyes. "You have my word, sir."

Charlie shuffled out of the kitchen and into the living room. I heard the sound of a baseball game on the television and looked at Edward. He was beside me in an instant.

"Would you like me to tell you some of the thoughts that ran through his mind during that conversation?" He stroked my hair.

I recognized his attempt to cheer me up and smiled up at him slightly. "Do I even want to know?"

"Probably not." He glanced at the clock. "It's nearly two. Would you like something to eat?"

"You mean while I still can?"

He smiled grimly. "I suppose."

I allowed him to help me from my chair and stood next to him as he twirled a lock of my hair around his fingers.

"There is one more thing I forgot to mention, Bella."

I stiffened in alarm.

"Don't worry, it's nothing serious. It's just, Alice planned a celebration dinner."

I stared at him wide-eyed. I opened my mouth to speak, but he placed a finger on my lips.

"No arguments, please? She thought it would be a nice gesture to invite Charlie for dinner."

I shook my head. "How are all of you going to explain not eating a bite of food to my dad?"

He smiled, "We can be quite creative if the situation calls for it." He let go of my hair and walked confidently into the den to speak to Charlie about it. I glanced at the phone. One quick call, that was all I needed.

Alice picked up after the first ring. "Hi, Bella! I knew you were going to call. As your wedding coordinator, I must insist on throwing you an engagement dinner."

Grinding my teeth in frustration, I spat, "You know I hate parties."

"I know, but this isn't really a party. It's more of a family get-together."

I sighed in resignation.

"Thank you Bella!" she sang.

I hung up the phone as Edward entered the kitchen. "Charlie will meet us at my house at five. Are you still hungry, or would you rather wait?"

I shook my head. "No, I can wait." I sank back into the chair I had previously occupied and cradled my head in my hands. Edward stood behind me and rubbed in small circles on my back. "What do we do until then?" I asked, glancing up at him.

He looked away, guiltily. "Alice wanted to take you shopping for something to wear tonight."

I shot up out of my seat. "No, absolutely not. I can handle telling my dad that we're getting married and even the fact that Alice is doing another surprise party, but I don't need more clothes."

"Calm down," he soothed, "You don't have to go. She just wanted me to ask you."

I leaned my head against his cold, hard chest. "So, what are we going to do then?"

"Would you like to go back to my house?"

I shook my head. "No, whatever Alice is planning, I would rather not know until the end."

His face brightened. "How about we go look at a new car for you?"

I stuck my tongue out at him. "What is wrong with the one I have now?"

He grimaced. "It's too slow. And I don't know that it will make the trip to Alaska in one piece."

"And would that be because you would be secretly sabotaging it, just to prove a point?" I asked, jokingly.

He looked at me in mock horror. "I would never do such a thing."

"Right."

"Really, Bella, I am going to get you a new car eventually. Wouldn't you rather have something that you picked out?"

"Eventually, but for now, I like my truck. It has character."

He rolled his eyes and smiled at me. "Whatever you want. I suppose I did say that we were doing this your way."

"Yep, and for now, I want my truck."


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Welcome to chapter three of my story. I couldn't help but notice that I've had over 100 hits on this story, but only one person has been kind enough to leave a review. Reviews are like an author's lifeline. We don't know if the story is good, not good, you love it, you hate it - get rid of it... unless you take the time to submit a hit of oxygen.

Disclaimer: As per usual, this story and all characters (except minor, plot neccessary ones that are only referenced briefly) belong to Stephenie Meyer.

We ended up doing nothing more than strolling through the woods in my backyard. Edward kept a careful hand on my arm, preventing me from taking any unnecessary trips forward.

"So, what are you guys going to do with the food you are supposedly 'eating'?" I asked, curious to find out exactly how they were going to disguise the fact from Charlie.

"You'll see."

"Don't you think I should know in advance, in case I have to duck from any flying food?"

He smiled at this and shook his head. "I expect Carlisle will take a few bites, just to be polite."

I stared at him in confusion. "But, won't he have to…"

"…Choke it back up?" he supplied, helpfully.

"Well, yeah." We continued walking and found ourselves standing before a fallen tree. He paused and asked me if I would like to stop and rest, but I shook my head. We turned and began heading towards my house.

"What are we having anyway?" I asked casually.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. I think Alice was keeping me out of the details on purpose."

"Reciting the alphabet in Arabic?"

He laughed, "No, counting backward from one million. In German."

Before I knew it, we were back at my house and sitting on the front stoop. "So, how is this going to work? The wedding, I mean. Will I be Bella Cullen or Bella Masen?" I twisted the ring around my finger nervously.

"Sshh…Charlie is at the front door. He's wondering if he should interrupt us. I think he'd like a moment alone with you. To try to talk you out of marrying me and leaving Forks altogether."

We sat in silence for a moment and then he resumed the conversation.

"You can decide. For now, it will have to be Cullen – only because that is what the town knows the family as – but if you want to change it later, I'm sure Jasper can arrange to have it be whatever you would like."

"Cullen is fine."

Edward played with my hair for a moment, then sighed. "I should go. You need to get ready." He stood up to leave and I grabbed his hand.

"You're not leaving me here alone! The last thing I want is to be cornered by Charlie right now!"

"Bella, he is your father. He only wants what's best for you. Besides," he grinned, "you'd better get used to it. Wait until you tell your mother."

I groaned and closed my eyes. Renee was going to be less than thrilled at the idea. She might even be harder to sell on the idea than Charlie was.

"I'm going to e-mail her tonight and tell her about it."

Edward looked at me in consternation. "You really should tell her in person."

I pouted. I knew he was right, but I wasn't looking forward to it.

"Okay, then, I'll call her."

He took my hand and shook his head gently. "No, Bella. You should go see her and tell her in person."

"Will you go with me?"

"Of course," he replied, squeezing my fingers lightly.

I hauled myself to my feet and opened the front door. He turned, as if to leave, and I tugged on his hand. "Are you seriously leaving?"

He smiled and said, "I'll wait for you in the living room."

I released his hand and trudged up the stairs. I stared at my bed. There was a dress and a note.

_Bella,_

_I know you didn't want me to take you shopping, but I couldn't resist._

_Alice_

I rolled my eyes and strode to my closet, grimly. As usual, there was nothing that seemed appropriate for the occasion. I looked back to my bed and sighed. The dress was beautiful, I supposed, as I pulled off my t-shirt and jeans. She had set a pair of panty hose with them, but I wrinkled my nose in distaste. I stepped into the dress and found a sandal that half matched. I leaned over to peer under my bed to find the other shoe and spied the shoe box peeking out from the dust ruffle. I muttered to myself as I pushed the box out of the way and dug under the bed for the missing sandal.

After putting my shoes on, I walked carefully down the stairs and found Charlie and Edward watching the game. Charlie glanced up and then looked at the clock. It was 4:15.

"You kids heading to Edward's?" he asked, as he focused his attention back to the television. Edward looked at me for a response.

"Yeah, Alice might need help setting up, or something." I fidgeted a little. "Are you meeting us there?"

He looked at the clock again. Heaving a sigh, he pulled himself out of the chair. "Yeah, I'll meet you guys there at five." He didn't look at me again as he ambled out of the room.

Edward stood and offered me his hand. We stepped out of the house and he walked me to my side of the car. The door was opened for me and I sank into the passenger seat.

"On second thought," he mused, "why don't you drive?"

I looked at him in confusion. "But, my truck isn't here."

He smiled and held out his hand. "I know. I meant, you drive my car."

I shook my head, but he grabbed my hand insistently. "Just give it a try. Please, for me?"

I allowed myself to be pulled from the car and steered toward the opposite side of the car. He opened the door for me and I sat down. After shutting the door securely, he was to the passenger side in a blur and fastening his seatbelt.

Smiling weakly, I turned the key and started the car. It was completely different than driving my old truck. The dash board seemed all _wrong_. Placing the car in reverse, I carefully backed out of the driveway. The car purred in response as I shifted into drive and gingerly stepped on the accelerator. Whoa. Way more get up and haul than the Chevy. We were flying down the road at over seventy before I looked down at the speedometer and jammed both feet on the brake. The car squealed to a halt and I was thrown forward against the seatbelt. I wrenched the steering wheel to the right and eased the car to the shoulder. Glancing over at Edward was a mistake; he was hiding a grin, poorly.

"You think that was funny?!" I demanded, shrilly.

He shrugged his perfect shoulders and replied, "You didn't even realize you were going fast. I felt it beyond me to tell you. But you enjoyed it didn't you?"

"Charlie will kill me if I get a speeding ticket!"

"Relax, Bella." He placed an icy hand over mine on the gearshift. "Deputy Dan is no where in sight."

I smiled. My heart skipped a beat at the minimal contact. He lifted an eyebrow in acknowledgment of the change in my pulse. I sucked in a deep breath and looked over my left shoulder at the road.

"Shall we try again?"

I put the car in gear again and eased off the side of the road. Taking a peek at Edward, I smirked to myself and stomped on the gas. He was perfectly at ease, obviously. The speedometer needle flew past sixty and was approaching eighty when Edward's phone rang. He answered it swiftly and then dropped it.

"Bella, very carefully slow down and pull the car to the side of the road."

I looked at him, confused. He'd been extolling the virtues of driving fast and now as I surpassed my own personal speeding record, he wanted me to slow down? I obediently depressed the brake and eased the car back to the side of the road. Ahead of us, a logging truck teetered down the winding road and nearly side-swiped us as it passed.

"Ah. That was Alice?" I guessed.

"Yes," he replied, grimly. He retrieved his phone from the floor board, where it had fallen a moment earlier, and dialed the sheriff's office. After speaking to Kimmy, the dispatcher, he hung up. He exhaled sharply. "Alice saw a different ending in her vision. A very frightening one. Maybe we should switch places."

I hastily agreed and fumbled to unfasten my seat belt. He had the door opened for me and escorted me to the passenger side, before sliding into the driver's seat. I reached to buckle up again and glanced at him. A line of worry creased his forehead.

"Do I even want to know?" I queried.

His glazed flicked to me. "No."

A/N: for those who would like to know what Alice's vision entailed aka an alternate version of the story - I will be posting it later, but you can get it faster if you leave a signed review or leave your email address on you review and I will email it to you.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: After serious thought and some major debating, I've decided to scrap the fluffy story and venture out into uncharted (for me) territory. This chapter picks up from the previous chapter. This was originally just going to be a little outtake that may or may not have been posted after the story was finished, but once I started, I couldn't stop!! (This is Alice's vision...)**

**Disclaimer: all characters belong to Stephenie Meyer and no profit is being made from this...**

"_Charlie will kill me if I get a speeding ticket!"_

"_Relax, Bella." He placed an icy hand over mine on the gearshift. "Deputy Dan is no where in sight."_

_I smiled. My heart skipped a beat at the minimal contact. He lifted an eyebrow in acknowledgment of the change in my pulse. I sucked in a deep breath and looked over my left shoulder at the road. _

"_Shall we try again?"_

_I put the car in gear again and eased off the side of the road. Taking a peek at Edward, I smirked to myself and stomped on the gas. He was perfectly at ease, obviously. The speedometer needle flew past sixty and was approaching eighty…_

when I saw the logging truck teetering down the road, heading our way. There was no time to hit the brakes before the truck slammed into us sideways, knocking the car off the road. We flipped three times and I heard a scream of pain in the distance before everything went black.

There were brief flashes of consciousness…Edward pulling me out of the wreckage…a stabbing pain in my left arm and blood trickling down my forehead…a ball of flames that resembled a Volvo, then the fire started.

(EPOV)

The truck knocked us sideways and sent us into a roll down the hill into the forest. Bella cried out in pain as the windshield shattered and she was thrown forward against the seatbelt. The driver's side door was crushed in before we finally skidded to a halt. I smelled the gasoline fumes fill the cabin of the car and saw the smoke billowing from underneath the hood. Reacting on pure instinct, I made a split second decision. I could no more live without Bella than humans without sunlight. I ripped the restraining belt away from her and pulled her from the car as quickly as I could. Change her here? Take her to Carlisle? Could my instinct for human blood be smothered for the time it took to bite her and let the venom trickle through her veins? I couldn't take the chance. After checking for a broken neck and ascertaining no damage there, I hoisted her onto my back and ran for home. I ran like my life depended on it. Behind me, the Volvo burst into flames and the ground shook with the force of the explosion.

Alice and Carlisle met me halfway, Alice blubbering incoherently. Carlisle removed Bella from my arms and ran with her to the house. I collapsed against Alice and screamed in anguish. Fumbling hands brushed hair away from my face. Meaningless, calming words uttered.

"Edward, we have to change her now. There is no other way. You understand don't you?"

I nodded dumbly and allowed her to take my hand and pull me into a run once again.

"Charlie."

My outburst stopped Alice and she looked at the ground. "Emmett and Rosalie are putting your 'bodies' in the front seat as we speak. The driver of the truck was stunned, but not killed. He's called for help already."

I heard the faint sirens clashing against the silence of the wilderness.

"We have to get home."

Alice nodded and we ran once more.

When we arrived home, Carlisle had Bella arranged on the bed I had placed in my room for her. Esme came up behind me and placed a small hand on my shoulder.

"Would you rather Carlisle do this, or can you handle it?" She whispered quietly.

I nodded my head in assent and fell onto my knees beside the bed. Bella's breathing was labored and I scanned down her body. Her arm was broken, there was a gash in her head and glass was embedded in her skin.

"She has internal bleeding. I can't be certain how much longer you have. Son," Carlisle implored, "do it quickly or she will die."

I picked up her fragile wrist and sank my teeth into the tender flesh at her pulse point. Her blood flooded my mouth and I nearly swooned from the taste of her. Steeling myself, I picked up her other hand and did the same to it. I spit out the blood and moved to her feet. Grasping an ankle, my teeth bit into it and the venom flowed into her veins. Her eyelids fluttered, but remained shut and she began writhing in agony. I finished with other ankle and stood up.

"You must bite her throat. The venom will pass more quickly through her body if you inject her with venom in as many places as possible."

Carlisle's voice jarred me and I looked up at him, tormented. His eyes pleaded with me to do it and save Bella, even if it was only five minutes worth of pain, from suffering more. I brushed her hair back and the fragrance of her nearly overwhelmed me. I leaned down and my teeth bit into her neck like a hot knife going through butter. Bella screamed in pain and began thrashing around. I forced myself to squash the instinct that commanded me to _drink_. Alice and Esme held Bella down and I lifted my mouth from her skin. The blood was pouring out of her fresh wounds, taunting me. I turned my head away and stumbled into the adjoining room. Fresh air.

Carlisle joined me after a few minutes. "Jasper has gone to Port Angeles to get a van. You must take Bella away from here. The police will be here any minute to bring news of your demise. It would be best if you weren't here to…" He drifted off as I interrupted him.

"Surely you don't think it wise for her to be transported in her condition." I slammed my fist into the wall and a crack formed, winding its way up to the ceiling.

Carlisle hung his head. "Son, this is a situation we cannot control and could not have been predicted. Alice didn't see this until the very second before it happened. We will be joining you in Denali in a day or so. Emmett and Rosalie will follow you immediately and help you get things sorted out. Esme and I must stay here and deal with the aftermath of the accident."

I understood. It would seem strange that the Cullens didn't stay for some sort of memorial to their "deceased" son. I turned away from him and walked back into my room. Bella was laying still, her breathing shallow.

"I gave her a dose of morphine. I am not sure how long until it wears off." Carlisle placed an insulated cooler into my hands. "You should have enough to last the rest of the night."

Outside, the crunch of gravel and the slamming of a heavy door signaled the arrival of Jasper. He flew up the stairs and tossed me the keys. Alice and Esme bundled Bella up in numerous blankets and carried her down the stairs. I bounded down the stairs after them. Jasper had removed the back seats from the van and I watched, motionless, as Esme placed Bella gently onto the floor of the cargo hold.

Thoughts of sorrow bombarded me. From Esme – _Dearest Edward, I am so sorry that things turned out this way. We were so looking forward to the plans the two of you had made._

Alice looked at me, troubled. _I'm so sorry I couldn't warn you in time. Truly…_

I shook my head. Emmett and Rosalie trudged out of the woods; Rosalie gripping his hand tightly. I could hear both of their thoughts echoing in my head. Grief and regret. Sorrow that it happened this way.

"Edward." Jasper stood beside me. "You must go."

I turned to him. "I don't think I could drive." I admitted, quietly.

Emmett walked to my other side and pulled the keys out of my hand. "I'll drive. Rosalie can follow behind us."

Carlisle crushed me in a brief hug and led me to the back of the van. I climbed in beside Bella and sat, cradling her head in my lap. Esme shut the door and Emmett got behind the wheel. Rosalie sprinted to her car and started the ignition as we pulled out of the drive. When we pulled out onto the main road, a lone police car was less than a mile away. Emmett stepped on the gas and we began the trip out of Forks.

**Please review! **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: As I said in the beginning of the story, I will be including Jacob's POV because I feel it's important (but things are majorly different than they originally were!) to the way the story unfolds. If you think it's moving too quickly, don't worry, I will be backtracking in the points of view of other characters, so you will get the entire story and it may seem out of order (chronologically) but not all characters are privy to every bit of information at all times. So, without further ado, chapter five...**

**Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction and I am most def. not making money off it. All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer's imagination.**

(Jacob POV)

I had been pacing for hours now. My dad sat motionless in the living room, watching me with hooded eyes as I wore a tread pattern onto the already well worn carpet.

"Charlie will be here in a few minutes."

I stopped pacing at the sound of my father's voice and stared at the wall. It had been four days since they found the bloodsucker's car on fire in the woods. There were two corpses, but I knew the truth. Their leader, Carlisle, called Sam the day it happened and explained the situation to him. Bella was no longer human. Charlie couldn't know, of course, even though my heart ached for him. When one of my brother's had gotten wind of the accident, I morphed without conscious thought and flew through the woods, to the scene of the accident. I crouched down in the thick underbrush and watched as the volunteer fire department wrestled with the flames. Watched as the paramedics cut the car open with the Jaws of Life and pulled the charred bodies out onto gurneys. The remains were zipped into black bags and carried away, lights flashing, but no siren, to the county hospital. Charlie was there, a witness to the whole thing. "If only" situations ran through my mind at lightning speed and I longed for the ability to see Bella, to feel her warmth once more. The sound of an approaching car broke through my reverie and I wearily trudged to the door. Charlie was walking around to the passenger side and helped Bella's mother, Renee, out of the cruiser.

He weakly lifted his hand in greeting and I was outside and assisting our guests to our front door. The two stepped inside and Billy greeted them solemnly.

"How are you Charlie?"

Charlie shook his head and replied, "Not so good, Billy. The funeral is tomorrow. We stopped by to see if you could make it."

Renee dabbed her eyes with a balled up tissue and crossed her arms over her chest. I pulled out a kitchen chair for her and she sat, perched on the edge, ready to jump up and flee if necessary.

Charlie and Billy spoke in hushed tones in the living room and I couldn't bear the thought of being in the same room as Bella's family. I quietly slipped to my room and gently shut my door. Looking around, I thought of the good times I'd had with Bella. Fixing up the motorcycles and teaching her how to ride them. The Bella I had known and loved was dead, replaced with something repulsive to me. I wondered briefly about how Carlisle would 'fix' the coroners report to reflect the identities of his son and his son's fiancé. As I flopped onto the too small bed, eyelids drooping, a last thought went through my mind. Where was she and what, exactly, was she doing?

The next morning I was awakened by the sound of Sam and the rest of the pack talking in the tiny kitchen. I stretched and pulled myself out of bed. Today was the day of the funeral and the entirety of Forks would surely be there. I wasn't looking forward to it. Walking out of my room, I was greeted by my father and Sue Clearwater. I didn't really pay attention to what was being discussed around me until I heard someone mention the accident.

"…their leader, Carlisle, said that Bella was the one driving." Billy was saying.

"I don't buy that. We all know they were gunning for Bella to become one of _them_," someone scoffed.

A heated discussion broke out until Billy said authoritatively, "That makes no difference here. The Cullen's did indeed break the treaty when one of them bit a human, however, I do not believe that the accident was intentional. Charlie said the truck driver had been drinking and wasn't paying attention to the road."

I closed my eyes briefly and held my breath. The truck driver, had he not been in physical custody, would have surely been torn to pieces. I would have killed him with pleasure, but I was certain I would have been beaten to the punch by Bella's boyfriend.

I stepped back into my bedroom and began dressing for the memorial service. Charlie and Carlisle had agreed on a combined ceremony, as recognition that they had been betrothed. I clenched my fists angrily at the thought of Bella wearing that _leech's_ ring.

Twenty minutes later, we were arriving at the beach, where Bella and I met again for the first time. There had been no viewing; the bodies had been burnt beyond recognition. I don't even think Charlie had officially identified the body. Rows of folding chairs had been set up along the sand and the wind ripped through, carrying ladies hats down the beach and a few into the water.

I stood at the back of the last row and glanced around me. I could smell the blood suckers in the front row and desired to be as far away as possible. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a flash of movement at the edge of the path. Bella…


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Another update...yay! This chapter goes back in time, sort of. I didn't want to leave anything out but I didn't want things to get confusing. After the change and the funeral, things should even out to being told in one time period only. Read and review, please. Told in Bella's POV.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or any characters and I'm not making any money off it.**

(BPOV)

I could feel the fire traveling slowly down both arms, up my legs and spreading into my chest. Hours that felt like days passed and I felt every second of pain that the venom infiltrating every cell in my body caused. When my eyelids opened the first time, I saw Edward sitting stiffly in a chair beside me. I groaned and the darkness overtook me again. The second time my eyes opened, the pain had ebbed significantly, just above a dull throb. Edward ran his perfect, granite fingers through his bronze hair and the ghost of a grim smile lingered on his face. I reached out to him and he grasped my hand firmly.

"It's almost over now."

I fell back into unconsciousness, my fingers still entwined with his. When I awakened the final time, I was still holding Edward's hand, but it felt different. What would have been a bone-crushing grip, was now slight pressure. I lifted my head off the pillow.

"Edward."

He glanced up at me and smiled. "I'm here."

"Have you been here the whole time? What happened? Am I in the hospital?"

He shook his head sadly. "Do you remember what happened?"

"I remember that I was driving and a truck knocked us off the road. I blacked out, I think. How long have I been sleeping." I looked around in confusion, expecting to see monitors and at least one IV dripping fluid into me. There was nothing, the room was Spartan in its furnishings. There was one window, covered with a thin muslin curtain. The chair Edward occupied, a bedside table and the bed I was on were the only items in it.

Edward barked out a painful laugh. "Ah, Bella."

I waited for him to continue, then I noticed his eyes. His normally topaz colored irises were tinged with a deep burgundy.

"Edward! What happened?" I cried, slightly panicking.

"You were…pretty banged up by the accident. The car flipped three times and I think your head hit the windshield."

He paused and I raised my hand up to my forehead. I felt the smooth, unmarred skin, cold and hard as Edward's. Leaping out of bed and running for a mirror, I was astonished to see blood red eyes staring back at me. I looked back at Edward. He got up from his chair and stood behind me.

"Does this mean?" I trailed off and Edward answered the unspoken question.

"Yes. I pulled you out of the car and ran home. Carlisle and Alice met me halfway and Carlisle carried you to the house. He examined you and determined you had extensive internal bleeding. We didn't know how long we had until…" He didn't have to finish. I knew what was coming.

"Who did it? You?"

He simply nodded.

I gasped. A torrent of emotions flooded through me. While I was delighted to finally be in an immortal state, the happiness I felt was tinged with sadness. I hadn't gotten the chance to tell Charlie and Renee goodbye.

A light tap on the door alerted me to the presence of a visitor. The door opened and Carlisle slipped into the room and quietly shut the door behind him. He seemed startled by my mobility.

"It's already finished?" He looked bewildered. "It's only been two days."

Edward shrugged. "The venom had more points of entry. As small as Bella is, I'm honestly surprised it took that long."

I glanced back and forth between the two of them. Carlisle seemed to be sharing a secret thought with Edward. Almost imperceptibly, Edward shook his head. Carlisle cleared his throat. Turning from them, I sank down onto the bed.

"Tell me the rest. I want to know what happened."

Edward sat on the bed beside me and Carlisle took the chair. The two spoke simultaneously and Carlisle motioned for Edward to continue.

"When I got to the house and Carlisle told me you would die, I wrestled over whether or not to change you. In the end, my selfishness won out. Once I started, you began screaming. Carlisle gave you a dose of morphine to ease the pain a little."

I interrupted, "So, the car?"

"The car exploded just a few moments after I pulled you out. Rosalie and Emmett got two bodies from the morgue and put them in our seats."

"But, how did…?"

He held his hand up to stop me. "Alice saw it coming, just not in enough time to warn us. Apparently, the driver of the truck had been drinking and fell asleep in his truck. When he woke up, he made a split second decision to try and drive home. He was still drunk."

"So, I am a danger magnet." I had to do something to lighten the mood. Carlisle was morose and Edward, well, if he had tears, I was absolutely certain they would be streaming down his face. He smiled and shook his head.

"I should have heard his thoughts, I was just so wrapped up in other things, I didn't pay attention."

I placed a finger over his lips. "Don't blame yourself. We were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. So," I mused, "our bodies were in the car when it blew up. How is that going to work? Won't the hospital miss two bodies that were there earlier?"

Edward winced and Carlisle picked up the conversation. "It's been taken care of. I have to leave in an hour to catch my flight back to Port Angeles. The memorial service will be held in two days."

It hadn't dawned on me until that moment that there would be a funeral. Edward noticed the look of realization pass over my face. I turned to face him, "I want to go."

He shook his head vehemently. "No, Bella, we can't. We can't go back."

My voice wavered as I replied, "I want to see my parents again. Since they think I'm dead," Edward cringed again, "I want…I _need_ to see them."

Carlisle looked at me uneasily. "Bella, I'm not sure that's the best idea. You haven't had time to adjust to your new life."

I was resolute. "Edward, if you don't take me, I'll go myself."

He sighed, he knew how stubborn I could be.

"Wrap chains around me and hold me back if you think I won't be able to control my appetite for all the tasty humans," I grinned, then more seriously said, "I just want some measure of closure. I wasn't expecting to not have a chance to see them again."

Carlisle bit back a smile and stood up to leave.

"Um, Carlisle, can I ask you one more question?" I stood up with him. "What happens with the treaty now? Since Edward bit me in Forks, does that mean the treaty is over?"

"Due to the extenuating circumstances, they have agreed to overlook the fact that a human was bitten and changed. Their leader, Sam, was angry about it, but I think Jacob may have influenced him a bit to change his mind."

I gaped at him in shock and sat down abruptly. Jacob had always tried to change my mind; he was so vehement about it, we couldn't be friends any longer. He helped adjust the treaty? He was essentially _helping_ the creatures that were his sworn enemy? I could feel a tingle at the back of my throat and swallowed to get rid of it. I casually rubbed the base of my throat, and tried clearing my throat. The tingle slowly intensified into a small fire. Edward gazed at me speculatively and then glanced knowingly at Carlise.

I realized instantly that this was what it was like to feel hunger as a vampire. The fire that Edward described to me was nothing compared to what I was feeling now.

"I think, um, I'm hungry." I said, the fire strengthening by the second.

"Bella, did you just begin to feel the fire now? Are you sure you didn't feel anything when you first woke up?" Carlisle crouched in front of me.

I looked up at Edward, who had a mix of curiosity and worry on his face.

Shaking my head slowly, I replied, "No, this is definitely the first time I've felt this. Why, is something wrong? I thought I was supposed to be hungry as a newborn."

Carlisle was looking at me, but I sensed his attention was elsewhere. He was sharing a thought with Edward and leaving me out again.

"Stop that! I want to know what's wrong with me!"

"Carlisle thinks we should discuss this later. He needs to research this a little. I'm sure it's fine though, everything else seems to be normal. I should call Alice, though, to make sure it would be safe to take you back to Forks."

I sighed unhappily. I wasn't going to get any more information out of Carlisle right now. Edward pulled his tiny cell phone out of his pocket and swiftly dialed as he stepped out of the room.

"If Alice doesn't see anything bad happening in Forks, does that mean I can go?"

Carlisle stood up once more and straightened out his clothing. "I suppose. I would feel more comfortable if Edward took you hunting every day until then, though."

Edward opened the door and walked back into the room. "She doesn't see anything to be worried about. She was very happy to hear that you were awake and wanted to know when she could take you shopping to celebrate."

I smiled. Of course Alice would only worry about taking me shopping. Carlisle glanced at his watch and hugged me.

"I must leave now. I have to be in Fairbanks to catch my flight in two and a half hours."

He left and a few moments later, I heard the sound of his Mercedes starting up and taking off down the driveway.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Another chapter. To be honest with you, I fell into kind of a slump about writing some more on this story...but I now have two chapters (including this one) ready to post, so I can get excited about it again. Any mistakes made in this chapter are mine alone because once again I am working without a beta and hate proofreading my own work. I've read it one time already, it's good enough for me!**

**Read and review please!**

**All characters are the property of Stephenie Meyer.**

When Carlisle left, Edward took me by the hand and sat down on the bed. It was still a little surreal, feeling his granite hands in my own and not feeling the iciness of his grasp. We were silent for a few moments, then he cleared his throat.

"How bad is it?" He gestured to his throat.

"It's not unbearable. I don't feel wildly bloodthirsty if that's what you mean."

"We should go. The more you hunt, the less likely we are to run into trouble when we get to Forks."

I could see the unease on his face. He was still unsure of me, even after speaking with Alice. I couldn't decide if I was hurt that he didn't trust me to control myself or amused that he was actually betting against Alice. I settled for mildly aggravated and pulled him to his feet and toward the door.

He immediately took the lead and before I knew it, we were flying out into the snow. Where once I would have been apprehensive about trying to run, let alone at the breakneck speed Edward had set, I found myself enjoying it. My feet found nothing to trip on and as we navigated through the trees, I slowly let go of the remaining worry. The wind whipped my hair around my head and I stopped for a moment to straighten out my tangled tresses.

"How do Rosalie and Esme run like this and keep their hair from turning into bird nests on their head?" I pulled my fingers through the knots, trying to detangle them and ended up ripping several small clumps of hair out.

"Careful now – remember, you can't re-grow those." Edward chuckled quietly and disentangled my hands.

A small noise captured my attention and I turned my head to follow the sound. About 100 yards to the left of me, I saw a flash of movement and my mouth involuntarily flooded with venom. I took off, Edward following quickly behind me. It was a black bear, but behind it was a cub. I stopped abruptly and Edward just barely missed slamming into me. I swallowed the extra venom with some difficulty. It was a different sensation than swallowing saliva. Edward looked at me, confusion clearly evident on his face.

"She has her baby with her. I can't kill her in front of her cub!"

He spoke quietly. "Bella, you can't rationalize like that, otherwise you would never eat. There could always be young with your prey, or waiting for them to return."

I shook my head. "I can't do it. Can't we find something else?"

He rolled his eyes slightly, but smiled. Inclining his head slightly, he took my hand again and led me in the opposite direction. We hunted until we came across a herd of caribou. Instinct guided me as I overtook one of the animals and sank my teeth into it's neck. There was no struggle; the animal was dead before it even sensed the danger. The rest of the herd was luckier, most of the others fled upon realization. Edward easily caught and drained two before I had even finished my first. I licked the drops of blood from my lips and smiled triumphantly. The fire in the back of my throat abated slightly and I looked around for more prey.

A bemused look passed over Edward's features and I suddenly felt self-conscious.

"What's wrong?"

He chuckled quietly and shook his head. "Nothing. You did everything right. It's just a little strange – you hunting with me."

"Oh." I replied, "would you rather I…"

"No, it's not that," he interrupted me, "I just forgot how quickly human nature fades and the vampire instincts take over."

He grabbed my hand and once again we were flying through the trees. After a few hours of hunting, we returned home. For the first time, I was aware of how beautiful the house was. It was a two story wood frame house with fallow stucco accents. As we walked in the front door, the staircase in front of me led me to the second level, where the bedroom I woke up in was located. To my left I saw doors leading off to separate bedrooms. Edward pulled me into the room at the end of the hallway. What I saw before me was breathtaking, the cream carpet muffling my footsteps as I moved forward. The walls were painted a soft shade of tan and in the middle of the room was a king size bed, the same from Forks. All of these things, however, paled in comparison when I saw the look on Edward's face. He stared at me intently and took both of my hands in his.

"This is our room, unless you have any objections to it."

I shook my head. "No, this is perfect."

He skimmed his hands over my arms and brought them to my face.

"There's something I've been meaning to speak with you about. Before the accident, we were going to be married."

"I…"

He brought a finger to my lips and shushed me. "I'm so sorry that I couldn't keep my end of the bargain; that we couldn't make love before you were changed." He glanced down ruefully. "If you'd like, we can now…"

I gasped.

"…or we could wait and have a ceremony here."

If I had the tears to cry, they would have been pouring down my cheeks. I actually began to feel a little guilty that Alice wouldn't get to give us the magnificent wedding I knew she had been planning.

"I'd like that. After we get back from Forks, of course."

"Of course."

The rest of the day and the following night were spent running through the woods, hunting. When the time came to leave for Forks, all the preparations for safety had been made. The Quileutes would be stationed at the perimeter of the service and Edward would be with me the entire time. We would be driving the van Jasper acquired back to Washington. Stopping only for gas, the trip took us nearly twenty hours. When we got to the Cullens' house, it was nearly 10 p.m.

Alice sprinted out to the driveway to meet us.

"Oh, Bella! I'm so glad everything turned out alright. I knew it would, of course, but it's nice to see you back and safe."

I was bundled up into a tight hug and released after a few moments. We made our way into the house, where we were greeted by the rest of the family.

"How was the drive down here?" Carlisle inquired.

"It was fine. We couldn't drive as fast Edward would have liked to."

Emmett grinned and slapped Edward on the back. "It's no Volvo, huh?"

Edward shook his head and smiled. "No. But the company was exceptional."

He entwined my fingers with his and brought them to his cheek. Behind us, Emmett made retching noises and Rosalie slapped him in the back of the head. I laughed and Edward joined me. Alice began jumping up and clapping her hands.

"Oh, thank you Bella! I promise it will turn out wonderfully!"

I glanced at Edward, "I guess there's no need in telling her the wedding is still on."

He smiled back at me.

"Have the two of you set a new date?" Esme asked.

I shook my head. "The sooner the better, I think. I won't have to worry about the birthday issue, but, I am ready, I think, to get married."

Esme smiled and nodded her head. "The service is in the morning. Perhaps the two of you would like to clean up."

I glanced down at my apparel. My jeans were muddied and I was certain my hair was looking a little worse for the wear. A sudden thought struck me; I didn't have anything to wear. All of my clothes were still in my closet at Charlie's house. As I looked to Edward in horror, Alice put her tiny hand on my arm.

"Don't worry, I took the liberty of picking up a few things for you. It's all upstairs in Edward's room."

I grinned and thanked her, then grabbed Edward's hand firmly and tugged him along as I sprinted up the stairs. When we reached his room, I stopped outside the door. Blocking the doorknob, I lifted my face up for a kiss. He looked at me bemusedly and obliged, brushing his lips over mine. My eyes closed, involuntarily and I reached up and pulled him closer to me, fingers tangling in his bronze hair. He reached behind me and twisted the doorknob, his other arm snaked around my waist and held me tightly to him. The door open, we inched our way inside and Edward nudged it closed with his foot. When we broke apart, he pulled me to the closet and opened the door. Rows upon rows of hangers with shirts, pants and jackets hung neatly and it looked like nearly half of the closet was occupied with frilly, feminine garments.

"At least Alice was nice enough not to get rid of my favorite outfits." Edward looked at me and grinned.

I was in shock. When she said a few things, I pictured a _few_ things, not a few hundred. I pulled items out at random and peered at them closely. She most definitely went overboard. I sighed and hung everything back up, trying to keep it as neat as Alice had it, but failing miserably. Edward pulled me back and sat down on the couch, maneuvering me so I ended up with my legs in his lap. I laid my head back against the armrest and sighed again.

"What are you thinking?" Edward asked me quietly.

"Just about tomorrow. I'm just worried that something will go wrong. I mean, I know that all of these precautions have been taken, but I don't want anything to happen."

He pushed the stray hairs from my forehead and leaned over to kiss me.

"Nothing will go wrong; I promise."

"Does Jacob know that I'm going to be there?"

"I don't think so; Sam's been trying to keep it from him. I think he will know that you are there, though."

He grinned, then said, "Alice wants to know how you like your new wardrobe. She's standing outside the door, wondering if she should knock or just come on in."

"Well, now that I know nothing serious is going on, I'll just come in." I could hear Alice's voice outside, then the door swung open. She glided to the couch and perched on the other end, bouncing with excitement.

"So, Bella, did you like everything I got for you?"

I paused before answering. "Well, honestly, it was a little overwhelming and I didn't get a chance to look at everything."

She pouted for a second, then smiled. "That's okay. But to get the full effect of it all, you should try everything on. Just to make sure it fits."

I gaped at her and Edward laughed.

"I think I hear Jasper calling me, I'll be downstairs." He got up to leave and I grabbed his arm.

"Wait, you're just going to leave me to be victim Barbie?" I demanded, incredulously.

Alice pulled me away from Edward and steered me toward the closet. She pulled out a few outfits and tossed them to me. I caught them deftly and went into the bathroom. Several hours and at least two hundred outfits later, I was finished modeling all of Alice's purchases for her. Half of it I was certain I would never wear and the other half was questionable.

"Will you pick something for me to wear tomorrow, please?" I begged, "I don't want to set foot near the closet for a while."

She handed me a cream colored halter dress with a slightly cleavage baring neckline.

"Shoes?"

Alice smiled and replied, "You can wear these tennis shoes with this." She held out a pair of simple canvas shoes.

I sighed in relief. I was getting the hang of walking without tripping, but didn't want to chance it by wearing heels straight away. Alice left to go downstairs and I peeled off the last outfit and stepped into the bathroom to take a shower. I should have showered before trying all my new outfits on, but felt it better to get the fashion show out of the way. Turning the water on full blast, I grabbed a towel and washcloth and set them on the basin. As I looked in the mirror, I noticed few changes to the rest of me. My skin was only slightly paler than before, but the shocking red of my eyes still bothered me a little. I stepped into the steamy shower and began washing my hair. Either Edward was very vain about his hair or Alice was thoughtful enough to pick up some personal items as well. After I finished bathing, I turned the water off and quickly dried and dressed, pulling a brush through my hair as I brushed my teeth. Old human habits die hard, I guess.

I joined the rest of the family downstairs and sat next to Edward on the couch. They were discussing the itinerary for the following day and I caught the tail end of the conversation. I snuggled in closer to Edward and he draped his arm over my shoulder, squeezing me gently.

"…after the service, Edward and Bella will leave first, then the rest of us will follow." Carlisle flashed a brief smile at me and then said, "Just to get you up to speed, we will be leaving for Alaska tomorrow. I've already given notice to the hospital and given the circumstances, they are more than understanding. Emmett and I will each drive a moving truck, Edward will drive my car, Jasper will drive Emmett's jeep, Alice will drive the Porsche, Esme will ride with me, Rosalie will be riding with Emmett and you will drive her car."

Edward had been idly drawing circles on my palm, but upon hearing that I would be driving in the Cullen convoy, I started and snatched my hand out of Edward's.

"I'm sorry, would you repeat that?" I looked at Carlisle, silently pleading with him.

"You will follow us in Rosalie's car and Edward will follow you in the Mercedes. Don't worry, the moving trucks can only go so fast. We won't leave you behind." He smiled.

I chewed on my bottom lip and found that my teeth were sharper than I was used to, it's a good thing my skin was as tough as granite. This train of thought led to other things…Edward didn't have to worry about hurting me now, why was he still restrained when we kissed?

Edward cleared his throat and I was thrown back into the conversation.

"Carlisle and the rest of the family are leaving early to get to the beach before the rest of Forks arrives."

I nodded, unsure of what else had been said while I was daydreaming. Esme and Carlisle rose and went up the stairs, leaving the rest of us to idle chatter. Couple by couple we dwindled down until it was just Edward and I.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Finally, Bella makes it to the funeral!! Yay! It's been a long time coming, but everytime I sat down at the computer, more things popped into my head that needed to be addressed to make the story more complete. This isn't the end by a long shot, though, there is more to come! I hardly got any reviews for my last chapter, hopefully you guys will make my day a little brighter and review.**

**Disclaimer: All characters and etc. belong to Stephenie Meyer...only a few weeks until Breaking Dawn, yay!**

We spent two hours sitting on the couch, I rested my head in his lap and stared at the ceiling. Finally, I sat up. "I guess that means we should get our things together and put them in the moving truck, right?"

"Just the basics, clothes, cds, books and personal effects," he replied, "the furniture stays here – we'll just get new things when we get to Alaska."

We rose simultaneously from the couch and held hands as we made our way up the stairs and into his room. I looked around; I was really going to miss this place. Edward pulled out some collapsed boxes and I set to work taping them together. As quickly as I had a box ready to be filled, Edward had it full and was working on the next one. After about an hour, the shelves that lined the walls were empty and the closet was bare, save the outfit I was to put on later. I looked out of the window – the sun was beginning to rise. Edward came up behind me and I leaned my head against his chest.

I heard a light tapping on the door and turned to greet Jasper, who was entering. Edward and Jasper began piling boxes up and carrying them down the stairs. I scooped up a few and followed them.

"Whoa, check out Super Bella!" I heard Emmett comment behind me and I smiled and rolled my eyes.

"And I haven't even tripped once!" I chimed in. Emmett laughed and pulled a box from my arms. He hugged me briefly with his free arm and raced down the remaining steps, passing me.

Esme and Carlisle had already loaded one truck and it was latched, ready to go. I passed my boxes to Alice, who jumped lithely into the truck and stacked them neatly. Edward and Jasper left and returned in a flash with more boxes.

"Is that all?" Alice asked them.

Jasper nodded and raked his hand through his hair. She jumped down and pulled the strap to close the door. It slammed shut and the sound reverberated through the trees. I could tell Esme was a little sad to leave Forks – I was a little gloomy about it as well.

"Can we go for a walk?" I tugged on Edward's hand and he looked down at me and smiled.

"Of course."

We set off through the trees and soon we were running. I found myself being led to Edward's favorite meadow. When we stepped through the trees, his skin became luminescent and the I looked down at my arms. They were shimmering brightly in the sunlight.

"Do you think we will ever be able to come back to Forks?"

He looked at me, then looked away into the trees. "Maybe, not for a long time though."

We found a fallen tree to sit down on and I felt the warmth of the sun beating down on my cold skin. In the distance, we heard Alice yelling for us. Edward glanced at me and grinned.

"I'll race you."

I was up and running before I replied and was dodging through the trees rapidly. I could hear Edward running behind me and then strong arms lifted me up and I was turned upside down as he threw me over his shoulder.

"You cheated."

I smacked him on the back playfully. "I did not. You wanted to race. I just took advantage and started before you."

He laughed. "Maybe if I could read your mind, you wouldn't have had the advantage."

He set me back on my feet and we were running full tilt through the forest. Edward veered off to the left and I stopped, confused.

"Meet you at the house!" I heard his voice in the distance and I took off in our original direction.

When I broke through the trees and arrived at the house, Edward was sitting on the front porch, grinning widely.

"You cheated!" I accused.

"It's not my fault I know a shortcut!"

I laughed and sat beside him. Esme and Carlisle walked out of the house and into the driveway.

"We're leaving for the service." Carlisle announced, "The others have already gone ahead of us."

I immediately sobered up and an unsettling nervousness invaded me. Edward grasped my hand in his and pulled me closer to him.

"You'll be okay, I won't let anything happen."

The two drove away in Carlisle's Mercedes and I stood up.

"Can we drive around Forks for a while? Just so I can look at it one last time for a while?"

Edward looked wary upon hearing my request, but allowed me to pull him to his feet. "I guess we could take Alice's car, the windows are tinted and it hasn't really been seen around town. You may want to freshen up first, though. I left a few things out for you."

I ran inside and up the stairs. I pulled a brush through my now-tangled hair and donned the outfit Alice laid out for me. When I got back outside, Edward had the car pulled around to the front of the house and I got into the passenger seat. He stepped on the accelerator and gravel flew as we sped down the driveway for the open road. Memories of the last time I rode in a yellow Porsche flooded through me and I sighed.

We stopped at the end of the driveway. After looking for traffic, he pulled out onto the main highway and we were flying down the road. After a few minutes, he slowed and pulled to the shoulder. I looked out of the passenger window and saw the blackened trees and glass littering the ground.

"Was that…?" I trailed off, unable to finish my sentence.

Edward nodded. "The truck knocked the car off the road and that's where we landed."

"What happened to the Volvo?" I asked meekly, I knew how much Edward loved that car.

"What's left of it is sitting in a junkyard by now." He pulled the car back onto the road and we were headed for town. We passed a few cars and without asking, Edward turned onto the road that led to my house. The lights were out and there were no cars in the driveway.

"Can we go in?"

Edward closed his eyes and nodded slowly. "We'll have to hurry, though."

He sharply turned the car into the drive and shut off the engine. I was out of the car and at the front door before he could open his door. He followed me into the house and I looked around. In the kitchen, there were dirty dishes piling up and I longed to straighten up for Charlie. Edward pulled me from the room and we walked upstairs to my old bedroom.

Everything was sitting where I left it nearly a week before. I wondered if Charlie had even set foot in here since I "died". A slight noise startled me and Edward opened the window quickly and pulled me out onto the roof. He quietly closed the window and ducked out of sight as Renee opened my bedroom door. I watched her glance around my room and leave, shutting the door behind her.

"The car!" I realized, too late, that we had parked in full view. Edward and I jumped from the roof and got into the car, shutting the doors and speeding off as the front door opened again.

I stopped breathing for a moment and then inhaled sharply. "I thought everyone was at the service by now."

Edward slowed the car minutely and replied, "She forgot something at Charlie's house. She heard a noise upstairs and came up to investigate."

"I didn't even hear a car pull up."

"I wasn't paying attention. I'm sorry." He looked deeply apologetic and stared ahead, watching the road. We rode in silence until we got to the beach. When he parked, he leaned across me and opened the glove compartment, pulling out a pair of sunglasses.

"You may want to put these on, just in case we run into anyone there."

I looked at him, unspoken questions evident on my face. "Should I expect to?"

"I'm not sure. Alice saw something, but it's not exactly clear. It hasn't been decided yet."

I shoved the dark shades on my face and prepared to get out of the car as soon as we pulled up. We parked farther down the beach than the rest of the family and walked down to the water. I could see the congregation from where we were standing, the wind whipped a few hats into the water and I could make out the faces of the people that I knew. There were quite a few that I didn't recognize, but I chalked it up to the fact that I was the police chief's daughter.

I saw Jacob almost instantly and he looked up, as if sensing someone watching him. He nodded briefly and looked away, hurt evident on his face.


End file.
